Person

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick is a professional athlete and human rights activist, known for protesting police violence and racialized systemic oppression by taking a knee rather than standing during the playing of the national anthem while he was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. In 2016 he co-founded the Know Your Rights Camp (KYRC), an organization to advance the liberation of Black and Brown communities. KYRC established the COVID-19 Relief Fund in March 2020 and its nationwide Legal Defense Initiative in May 2020, and recently gave over $1.75 million to grassroots organizations fighting for justice. He has been named GQ magazine’s Citizen of the Year, and has received the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, the ACLU’s Eason Monroe Courageous Advocate Award, the Puffin/Nation Institute’s Prize for Creative Citizenship, and Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience Award, which celebrates the spirit of activism and exceptional courage.